Forests in Iceland to Increase Tenfold by 2100

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Forests in Iceland to Increase Tenfold by 2100

Forests in Iceland are set to increase ten times this century and cover 12 percent of the country’s surface—instead of the current 1.2 percent—by 2100. This was suggested in a comprehensive policy on forestry in Iceland, submitted early last year.

Local authorities in Iceland are obligated to make sure that 5 percent of the lowlands (2 percent of land overall) is forested in different regions by 2030. The comprehensive policy assumes further planting of forests in the following decades, so that another 5 percent of the lowlands will be forested by 2070.

Director of the Iceland Forest Service Jón Loftsson, who heads the task force responsible for the comprehensive policy, discussed the service’s future plans in a radio interview on Rás 1 yesterday.